Is it an insult in China to be called an old man and/or a monkey?

A international student from China said I looked like a old man(I am only 19). When she told me this I was very upset, but she then explaned that in China being called a old man is a complement. She said it was a complement because old men are “cute, wise, and smart.” She is my friend, so she is nice and honest, but she is a tease. Is she just pulling my leg or is looking like a “old man” really a good thing?

The same girl has a friend who is also Chinese. This other girl thinks I look like a monkey. The girl who said I look like a monkey as opposed to the first girl, does not like me, I don’t think. Yet the girl who thinks I look like a old man assured me that “monkey” too, is a complement. So are they both complements, both insults, or somewhere in between?

Please do not answer this question unless you are Chinese or have a good understanding of chinese culture. I want acurate answers, Thanks!